A confutation of the Popes bull which was published more then two yeres agoe against Elizabeth the most gracious Queene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, and against the noble realme of England together with a defence of the sayd true Christian Queene, and of the whole realme of England. By Henry Bullinger the Elder.

¶That the Decretall Epistles of the first Byshops of Rome are but counterfettes.

VErely I am not ignorant how there fly abroad ma∣ny Epistles of these holy Romane Bishops & Mar∣tyrs which they call decretals. But they ouerthrow themselues with their owne absurdities, and shew themselues to be but counterfettes, in asmuch as many thinges be so light, so triflyng, and so vtterly vnlike that auncient simplicitie, purenesse, and maiestie, that not with out good cause they séeme vnto godly and learned men, to haue ben deuised long since by others. Neither do I greatly regard that the same are fathered vpon the gatheryng of Damasus and Isidorus: seyng that there want not some men which put ouer certeine of these kynd of thinges euen to the time of Gregorie the 7. But howsoeuer the case stād for the tyme. I pray yon what can be more fond, then the fathering of these wordes vpon Anacletus? This holy ho∣ly and Apostolike Church of Rome obteined the suprema∣cie

and preheminence of power ouer all Churches, not frō the Apostles, but from the very Lord himselfe our Saui∣our. And again, There was a difference euen betwene the blessed Apostles: and albeit that all of them were Apostles: yet did the Lord graunt and the Apostles determined a∣mong them selues, that Peter should haue preheminence afore all the rest of the Apostles, and be Cephas, that is to say a head, and hold the souereintie of Apostleship. Thus sayth he. But who knoweth not (though he be but meanely séene in histories,) that after full fiue hūdred yeares, it was obteined and ordeined, not by Christ, or his Apostles but by loytering lozels or rather by traiterous persōs, that Rome should be called y^e head of all Churches, that is to wit, that it should obteine supremacie & prerogatiue of power ouer all Churches? Or who would beleue that Anacletus exercised himselfe so little in readyng of the Gospell, that he knew not how Cephas signifieth, not a head but a stone or a Rocke? according as it is interpreted by Iohn the Apostle in the first chapter? And which interpreter should a man rather beleue? Iohn the Apostle, or the coūterfet Anaclete? The lewd packing then of the lewd lozelles is detected both in these and in many other thinges. The same partie ma∣keth very often mention of Archbyshops and metropoli∣tanes, neither omitteth he primates. But it is most mani∣fest, that those titles were vtterly vnknowen to the primi∣tiue Church, and were afterward inuented and vsurped in times folowyng. And at their first comming vp the maner of vsing them was after a sort méetly tolerable, till their posteritie did afterward vse them or rather misuse them more proudly. Besides this, the sayd counterfet Anaclete maketh a Bishop greater than an Elder: whereas Ierome himselfe sheweth by Scriptures, that Elders and Bishops are all one, and that in processe of time Byshops were pre∣ferred before Elders, not by the ordinaunce of God, but by the ordinaunce of man. Moreouer this Anacletus allow∣eth the Appeales that are made to the sea of Rome, saying:

that all questions and matters of weight ought to be refer∣red to the Apostolike sea, for so had the Apostles decréed. But this selfe same thing is manifestly disallowed by the holy maister of Christ Cyprian writyng to Cornelius the Pope. Many other thinges prateth he concerning the pri∣uiledges and iudgementes of the Church: which who soe∣uer séeth not to disagrés with these first tymes of the primi∣tiue Church, he seeth nothyng, but is blynder then a béetle.

Furthermore there is a decrée fathered vpon Pope A∣lexander, wherby he commaundeth that water should be halowed with salt, to clense the people and to put away the secret slightes of the deuill. But who is so light headed to beleue that so great men in so great light of the Gospell published so filthy decrées concerning such baggagely gew∣gawes so openly fighting agaynst the Gospell and doctrine of the Apostles? These thinges sauour not that Apostolike and auncient purenesse and maiestie which entierly attri∣buteth all saluation to the onely bloud of the sonne of God and not to water and salt.

Pope Sixtus in the sayd decretall Epistles commaun∣deth that no man els should touch the holy vesselles but he that is halowed. Ye may perceiue that this stuffe agréeth trimly with the Apostolicall doctrine deliuered by Paul in the 2. to the Colossians, and finally with the histories which openly beare record that euen the laymen receiued & hand∣led the bread and cup of the Lord with their [bare] handes, certein hundred yeares after this Sixtus. Besides this, in the same Epistles, there is open & manifest mention made of Clementes iourney, which booke neuerthelesse euē the very Decrées of Gratian do reiect among the authenticall writynges.

Yea and Thelesphorus commendeth the seuen wéekes fast before Easter, forbidding also the eating of flesh. Which thing againe how well it agréeth with the doctrine of the Apostles, and with the doinges, it is to be knowen by the thinges which S. Paul hath written in the 2. chapter to the

Colossians, and in the 4. chapter of the first Epistle to Ti∣mothie, and which Socrates hath left written in his Eccle∣siasticall historie in the 5. booke and xxii. chap. but most of all which are taken out of Irenaeus by Eusebius in the 5. booke and xxvi. chapter of his Ecclesiasticall historie.

Moreouer in those Epistles Calixtus is reported to haue ordeined the imber fast at foure seasons of the yeare. Which thing others referre to other authors or founders. And among this stuffe this is a thing that can not be read without laughter, that Eusebius the predecessour of Mel∣ciades doth with so great statelinesse commaund the feast of the finding of the holy crosse to be solemnized the vi. day of May. For some declare that the crosse was not yet found at this time, but a xx. yeares after by Helene the mother of the Emperour Constantine. Agayne how superstitious, péeuishe, and fond géere are commaunded in the same Epi∣stles, namely that Nonnes should not touche the holy ves∣sels. As who should say there had ben any Nunnes as yet in those dayes, the first comming vp of whom is referred to farre later times. Many other thinges of this sort do I passe ouer willingly, least I might make my readers to cast vp their stomakes. For in these Epistles there be very many thinges so foolish, so farre agaynst reason, so full of supersti∣tion, and so full of ambition: that all men which haue eyes may gather therby that they be counterfettes, and special∣ly for asmuch as there is very seldome or no mention at all made in all the booke through out, of vncorrupted fayth in Christ, yea or of Christ himselfe our redemer, & of the trea∣sures which the father hath giuen vs in him, which thinges are the naturall markes of Apostolicall writinges. Now although there be many thinges in them not vnprofitable to be read: yet are the same thinges to be found in other men set forth more purely, and without any paringes can∣kerfretted with the filthinesse of mans traditiōs. Further∣more it is very well knowen that those first most pure tymes of the Church were not acquaynted with so many

ceremonies, so many decrées, and so many constitutions, as are found vrged vpon Gods Church in those Epistles. For the holy and deuout folke of old time had not yet for∣gotten the Apostolicke Counsell that was held at Hieru∣salem, wherin not onely Peter playnly would not there should be any yoke layd vppon the frée neckes of the fayth∣full, but also moreouer it séemed good to the holy Ghost and to the whole primitiue Church of the Apostles, that there should not any burthen be layd hereafter vppon the faithfull. This story is knowen to be writtē in the xv. chap∣ter of the Actes of the Apostles.

But if our aduersaries will nedes procede to mainteine that these are the very Epistles of those men vppon whom they be fathered: we haue aunswered a little afore, how they be of no authoritie against the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles, and therfore we admit them not in dispu∣tation. Notwithstanding by the way we haue better opi∣nion thā so, of so great learned men, and of so holy Martyrs of Christ, neither will we in any wise stayne and deface their honorable names and blessed memoriall with such maner of gewgawes, wherof out of all doubt there neuer came any in their mindes, no not euen in their dreames.